Robert Rizzo has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for income tax evasion. LAPD Chief Beck joins Larry to discuss ankle-monitors for parolees, officers disabling recording devices, and more. A new study is challenging the notion that parental involvement in a child's education leads to better performance. Are parents too involved in their kids' educations?
With sentencing of Rizzo, the Bell scandal comes to an end
The man authorities say masterminded a scheme that fleeced the small Los Angeles suburb of Bell out of millions of dollars has been sentenced to 33 months in prison for income tax evasion, the AP reports.
City News Service says former Bell City Manager Robert Rizzo was sentenced Monday by a federal judge. The 60-year-old Rizzo pleaded guilty in January.
On Wednesday Rizzo faces sentencing in state court on 69 counts of fraud, misappropriation of public funds and other charges for his role in the Bell scandal. He pleaded no contest in that case in October.
When he was fired by Bell in 2010 Rizzo had an annual salary and benefits package of $1.5 million. Authorities say he dodged nearly $300,000 in taxes by creating a corporation that claimed phony businesses losses.
Guests:
Nestor Valencia, Mayor of Bell; Valencia has known Robert Rizzo for many years
Ali Saleh, Bell City Council member, founding member of the community group BASTA (Bell Association to Stop the Abuse)
LAPD Chief Beck: Ankle-monitors, officers disabling recording devices and more
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck joins Larry for AirTalk’s monthly check-in.
This month AirTalk addresses a number of concerns including reports of Los Angeles police officers tampering with voice recording equipment in patrol cars. How does the police department plan to deal with this issue?
Earlier this month Police Chief Beck announced his interest in a second term as police chief.
Mayor Eric Garcetti released his first budget proposal this week. The proposal calls an overhaul of Los Angeles’ 911 dispatch system. How could this impact the Police Department?
Guest:
Charlie Beck, Chief of Los Angeles Police Department
Are parents too involved in their kids’ educations?
The conventional wisdom holds that children who have very involved parents do better in school. But one new study is challenging that assumption by saying that too much parental involvement might actually be harming their child's grades and test scores.
Common parental behavior including observing a child's class, contacting a school about a child's behavior, helping to decide a child's high school courses, or helping a child with homework don't help a student's performance in school.
Parental engagement is often touted in public policy as a way to help boost test scores and close the racial achievement gap. It's the focal point of both federal 'No Child Left Behind' and 'Race to the Top' programs but academic studies have been very inconclusive about whether it actually works.
So how can parents set their kids up for educational success? Is the modern 'helicopter' parent actually harming their child's educational experience? How do teachers feel about the level of parental involvement in their classes?
Guests:
Keith Robinson, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Texas, Austin and lead author of The Broken Compass: Parental Involvement with Children's Education
Patty Scripter, Vice President of Education for the (PTA) Parent Teacher Association in the state of California and for the district that runs from Burbank to Pomona
FDA considers controversial HPV test alternative to pap smear
After an FDA committee approved unanimously to recommend that the Pap smear be replaced with a HPV test in March, the company behind the high-tech test has asked the Food and Drug Administration to adopt it as a first-choice screening tool to detect cervical cancer, a move that has angered many patient groups.
The cobas HPV test, made by Roche, uses DNA to detect the human papillomarvirus, or HPV--the main cause of cervical cancer. The technology has been available for years, and is frequently used along with the Pap smear by doctors. Roche wants the FDA to approve the test as the first screening tool used by doctors, which could eventually phase out the mainstay Pap smear, what advocates described as a cheaper and simpler screening tool.
In response to Roche's request, a number of women's groups -- including the American Medical Women's Association and Our Bodies Ourselves -- has sent a letter decrying the potential shift to FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg, which they fear would lead to overtreatment and higher costs.
Guests:
Dr. Thomas Wright, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Cell Biology at the New York Presbyterian Hospital at the Columbia University Medical Center. His current research looks at the safety and efficacy of cervical cancer screening. He is a paid consultant with Roche, which makes the test.
Diana Zuckerman, Ph.D., President of the Cancer Prevention and Treatment Fund; Epidemiologist trained at Yale University
Soul Train! - 'The Hippest Trip in America'
When it debuted in October 1971, seven years after the Civil Rights Act, Soul Train boldly went where no variety show had gone before, showcasing the cultural preferences of young African-Americans and the sounds that defined their lives: R&B, funk, jazz, disco, and gospel music.
The brainchild of radio announcer Don Cornelius, the show’s producer and host, Soul Train featured a diverse range of stars, from James Brown and David Bowie to Christine Aguilera and R. Kelly; Marvin Gaye and Elton John to the New Kids on the Block and Stevie Wonder.
"The Hippest Trip in America" tells the full story of this pop culture phenomenon that appealed not only to blacks, but to a wide crossover audience as well. Famous dancers like Rosie Perez and Jody Watley, performers such as Aretha Franklin, Al Green, and Barry White, and Cornelius himself share their memories, offering insights into the show and its time: a period of extraordinary social and political change.
Guest:
Nelson George, Author, "The Hippest Trip in America: Soul Train and the Evolution of Culture & Style;" George is an acclaimed author and filmmaker who specializes in documenting and celebrating African-American culture.